Afraid Shrek Would Lose Too Badly

Tang Wulin and the others were also incomparably shocked.

Xie Xie, who had been leaning lazily against the back of his chair, straightened up instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Xu Xiaoyan covered her mouth, her face etched with surprise.

Tang Wulin also froze for several seconds before slowly coming back to his senses.

However, they soon recalled Han Li's strength.

Consequently, that shock quickly transformed into a different sentiment.

They felt sorrow for the people of Shrek.

Tang Wulin recalled what Wu Changkong had said previously.

It was after a training session, when Ye Yingluo and Wu Changkong were discussing Han Li's talent in private, that he had inadvertently overheard them.

Although Wu Changkong hadn't stated it explicitly at the time, his attitude in those words had been very clear.

Even in Shrek Academy, which was filled with geniuses, Han Li's talent was almost unprecedented in history.

It was even possible that the talent of the current number one person on the continent—the Dean of Shrek Academy, Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion, and Sky-Piercing Douluo, Yun Ming—was not necessarily higher than Han Li's.

After all, even Yun Ming could not have engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a seven-ring Soul Saint wearing battle armor at the age of ten.

Yet Han Li had done it; not only had he done it, but he had done it with his bare hands.

Furthermore, the tone Wu Changkong had used when saying those words was complex, containing both recognition for a genius and a hint of slight unwillingness.

He should have brought such a genius back to Shrek, but now Han Li had already joined the Spirit Pagoda and become a core disciple.

Although Tang Wulin hadn't quite understood that complex emotion of Wu Changkong's at the time, he had remembered those words.

Therefore, when he saw the broadcast announcing that Han Li was going to take on the Shrek youth team single-handedly, he suddenly understood how Wu Changkong had felt.

Han Li truly possessed that strength.

One person fighting an entire team.

It sounded absurd, but if that person was Han Li, the absurd became a matter of course.

Amidst the shock of the entire arena, the youths of Shrek walked onto the stage wearing green tracksuits.

They emerged from a side passage, seven of them in total, all between the ages of twelve and fourteen.

The uniform green tracksuits were embroidered with the Shrek Academy emblem, symbolizing twenty thousand years of heritage and glory.

Their steps were uniform, and the temperament of each individual revealed traces of long-term training and meticulous refinement.

But at this moment...

Their expressions were extremely poor.

The youth walking at the very front was the tallest, his brows slightly furrowed, his lips pressed tightly into a line.

The few following behind him also had gloomy faces.

Because before the match, it had clearly been agreed that they would be facing the youth group champions from the previous Sky Sea Grand Competition.

That would have been a reasonable opponent; winning would demonstrate Shrek's strength, and the outcome would have been within expectations.

But now, the opponent had actually turned into a boy even younger than them.

This meant that no matter how they won...

It would be an unearned victory.

If they won, people would say Shrek sent seven people to fight one child—what was there to be proud of?

If they lost, it went without saying; seven people fighting one and still losing—where would Shrek's face be left?

This was also something they could not accept.

Their purpose in coming to participate in the Sky Sea Grand Competition was to uphold the glory of Shrek Academy.

At the same time, as students of Shrek, they carried the reputation accumulated by the academy over twenty thousand years on their shoulders.

They could lose to the strong.

But they could not lose in terms of rules, public opinion, and common sense!

Yet now, what was the point of defeating someone younger than themselves?

Winning was dishonorable, and losing was even more embarrassing...

Either way, it was a dilemma.

But now that the match had begun...

They had no choice but to come up.

Everyone was watching them.

If they walked off the stage now...

It wouldn't just be a matter of losing face; they would become the laughingstock of the entire Sky Sea Alliance on the spot.

So now...

Their expressions were all incredibly grim.

And at this moment...

On the other end of the high platform, Han Li walked over slowly.

The sunlight fell upon him...

Casting a long shadow across the ground.

He wore a plain black tracksuit, devoid of any special insignias or decorations, looking no different from any other youth in the stands.

Yet, the gazes of tens of thousands were fixed upon him.

Focused entirely on that slender figure.

The murmurs in the stands gradually faded, replaced by a breathless, concentrated silence.

Everyone wanted to see what qualifications this youth, pushed forward by the Sky Sea Alliance to face the entire Shrek Academy youth team alone, truly possessed.

On the high platform, the youth leading the Shrek team watched Han Li approach, his brows knitting even tighter.

He looked Han Li up and down, then spoke, his tone carrying clear coldness and dissatisfaction.

"Does the Sky Sea Alliance look down on us Shrek students by sending only you?!"

His voice was not loud, but through the high platform's amplification system, it carried clearly across the entire venue.

He stood at the very front of the seven, his body straight, his gaze fixed on Han Li like a blade.

The questioning and displeasure in his tone were undisguised.

It was as if the Sky Sea Alliance's arrangement was an insult to Shrek Academy.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire arena gasped.

The audience in the stands erupted into an uproar.

Some nodded in agreement, while others shook their heads and sighed.

The Shrek student's words had struck at the heart of the matter.

The Sky Sea Alliance arranging for one youth to fight the entire Shrek team alone was, from any perspective, a sign of disrespect toward Shrek.

With a heritage spanning twenty thousand years, Shrek Academy held a revered status on the continent; for them to send students to compete only to have a single opponent show up—what was this supposed to mean?

Yet, everyone also knew that whether Han Li admitted or denied it, the reputation of the Sky Sea Alliance would suffer.

If Han Li admitted, "Yes, we look down on Shrek," it would be an open provocation against the continent's premier academy, and if word got out, the Sky Sea Alliance would become a target for everyone.

If Han Li denied it, saying, "We don't look down on you," it would make the Sky Sea Alliance appear careless and sloppy in their decision-making, which would also draw criticism.

At this moment, many present were also complaining about the Alliance's decision.

The Sky Sea City officials in the stands looked embarrassed.

Even Administrator Xia's expression was stiff.

Although he already knew of Han Li's strength, being questioned publicly by someone from Shrek in such a setting was, at the very least, a blow to his pride.

At this moment, Han Li spoke, his voice calm and natural, as if he were stating the most ordinary of facts.

"One of me is enough."

"Any more..."

"And the Alliance fears Shrek would lose too embarrassingly."

As his voice fell, the entire arena went silent for a moment, before erupting into an even louder wave of discussion than before.

Some were laughing, some were shaking their heads, and some had their eyes wide with disbelief.

The crowd in the stands stirred, the sound of their whispering merging into a buzzing roar.